The Buying Game (Issue 32)
This week’s picks include Android earbuds, an all-in-one battery, and ad-free service.
How I’d spend $500: Samsung Galaxy Buds 4
Samsung has two new sets of earbuds as of this week. The Galaxy Buds 4 are the lower-priced, more open style without silicone tips—much like the AirPods 4. The Galaxy Buds 4 feature ANC to take the edge off noise environments, as well as live translation and AI features with a Galaxy device. For non-Apple users, these might be the wireless earbuds to consider.
Price: $180 (link)
Value Score: Fair
The price is a bit steep, but if you pre-order through Amazon now, Samsung is offering a bundle deal with a $30 Amazon gift card.
How I’d spend $150: Statik SmartCharge Pro
The SmartCharge Pro is the ultimate portable all-in-one charger. It features a 15W Qi charger for phones, an Apple Watch charger, two USB ports, and a built-in USB-C cable. The 15,000mAh battery capacity should be enough for several devices throughout the day, and the 60W power output should be fast enough for most laptops. While not pocketable, it is small enough to bring most places.
Price: $100 (link)
Value Score: Good
There are lots of multi-device chargers, but I haven't found one with all the features of the SmartCharge Pro. Its $100 price is competitive among most 15,000mAh power banks.
How I’d spend $50: YouTube Premium Lite
If you watch a lot of videos on YouTube, then you really should look at YouTube Premium, or now, YouTube Premium Lite. Google recently announced that Premium Lite is getting new features in addition to ad-free videos, like downloads and background playback.
Price: $8 (link)
Value Score: Good
YouTube Premium is $13 per month, but it includes ad-free music streaming, like Apple Music or Spotify Premium. Otherwise, the two Premium tiers are about the same, and the Lite version comes in at a solid price.
The winning pick: YouTube Premium Lite
Getting rid of ads on YouTube videos for $8 a month is a very good quality-of-life improvement for modern internet users. The ability to minimize videos and listen in the background on mobile is a great addition to Premium Lite.
Are you looking for even more picks this week? Here are a few things worth considering.
An expensive pick: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
I haven't been impressed by a Samsung Galaxy phone in years. But this year, the Galaxy S26 Ultra has two standout features—mind-blowing even. The first is the Privacy Display. As part of the hardware, the operating system can add a filter to the screen so people next to you can't see what's showing on your phone. This privacy feature works on a per-app basis, meaning you can have it only activate when you open your banking app. Even better, it can just block out notifications as they come in at the top of the screen.
The other killer feature is the video stabilization. You can literally turn your phone upside down and the video will come out like it was barely bumped. Both of these things you have to see to fully appreciate.
Price: $1,299 (free $200 giftcard included in pre-order) (link)
App pick: Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat
Jury Duty was a hidden-camera reality show where everyone was an actor, except one person. Now, season two is coming. Anthony is the mark in Company Retreat, and he's the only one who doesn’t know that everything is a setup. The new season premieres on Amazon Prime Video on March 20.
This week's other interesting deals and product news
- New leaks apparently detail the crease size of the "iPhone Fold," although there's not much to compare the numbers to.
- Orbitkey has a new 2-in-1 and Hanging Toiletry Pouch on Kickstarter.
- Netflix showed off a first look at The Boroughs from the Duffer brothers.
- Spotify and Liquid Death are selling an urn with a Bluetooth speaker for $495.
- Honor announced the world's thinnest Android tablet.
- The developers behind the weather app Dark Sky, which Apple acquired in 2020, are back with the Acme weather app.
- Nothing has shown off a peek at its new Headphone (a) in yellow and Phone 4(a) in pink—both being announced next week.
This week's published stories
- A Beloved Music Streaming App Is Back, Thanks to Claude Code [PCMag]
- Apple Watch SE review [Business Insider]
- Hands-on with the Dyson PenciVac [Yahoo]
- I went running with robotic legs [Yahoo]
- All the F1 info you need to watch on Apple TV [Yahoo]
- AirPods Pro 3 are the best wireless ANC earbuds for the money [Yahoo]
- YouTube Premium Lite might be the best way to spend $8 [Yahoo]
- Review: Statik SmartCharge Pro [Yahoo]